End of an era as Mobil closes

After 50 years in business, Clinton's only Mobil gas station will close this week.

"We might be closing Wednesday or Thursday, depending on when the gasoline runs out," said owner James Cardillo, of his gas station at the corner of Main and Brook streets.

A Walgreens pharmacy has cleared all town permits to build a store at that corner, after demolishing the gas station and remediating some contaminated soil that will end up under the store's parking lot.

"It's the end of an era," Cardillo said, sitting at a desk in his small office, in the rear of his Mobil Mart convenience store.

Cardillo's son, Dan, stepped in and out of his father's office during the short interview. James said both of his sons worked in the business, but one had "moved on."

"April 1 of this year" was Cardillo's 50th anniversary in business as a Mobil dealer, he said.

"I enjoyed every minute of it. I like people, and I like dealing with people. I always had good relationships," he said.

"I want to thank all the people who have done business with me. I always appreciated their business. The people in this town are great people, and they've been very good to me

"I was born and brought up here in Clinton, on Flagg and Lewis streets," Cardillo said. "Even though I lived out of town for the last 60 years, I went into the service from here when I was 16. I went into the Navy. I came back when I was 20, got married and moved out of town, up to Shirley."

Cardillo worked at the Chestnut Hill Ford dealer on High Street, where he "became friendly" with a Mobil Oil sales representative, he said. That's how he found out when "the Mobil station came up for lease in 1957," he said.

"I was 15 years up on High Street, and about 38 down here," Cardillo said. "I moved down here in 1970, when this was brand new.

"A lot of changes" have happened over the years, Cardillo said, but not much changed when Exxon bought Mobil about six years ago. "The way we do business is the same, and Mobil dealers are still Mobil dealers."

Prices have changed dramatically, of course, he said. "It's very expensive now. A load of gas costs $37,000. When I started, it cost $3,000. Tankers are much larger now, though.

"Gas was 31 cents per gallon then, compared to about $2.74 per gallon now."

Cardillo said he has no business relationship with the Dozen Donuts franchise in his building, other than leasing them space.

"Their lease ends the end of November," he said. "They may be moving down to Best Buy, the old Sunoco station" on the corner of Main and Church streets, Cardillo said.

The Richmond Company, which will build the Walgreens store, bought out Dozen Donuts' lease at the same time it purchased his property, Cardillo said.